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Themes
Desperate Housewives is commonly known for being a family show that breaks taboos, and thus it is made up of, among many other things, recurring themes that can be found in between the lines of its ongoing and/or episodic stories. A rundown of some of the most remarkable themes of the series can be read below. Betrayal Betrayal is one of the major sources for conflict on Desperate Housewives, playing a key part in most of the series' romantic relationships and ongoing stories of friendship and family. Whether by relatives, friends, lovers or business partners, the main characters have all in some way been betrayed in the past, and have reacted in different ways to such treasons. The most notable adultery storyline of the series would likely be the one led out by Gabrielle Solis and her teenaged gardener, John Rowland, the affair that started Gabrielle's storyline. Karl Mayer is arguably the most notorious serial adulterer of the show, however. Conflict Crimes One of the most prominent causes for controversy when the series premiered its debut season in the United States was the fact that most of the main characters, if not all, had, at some point, engaged in criminal activity. In fact, most characters on the show have broken the law at some point, oftentimes in situations that are played for laughs, which reflects the dark comedy of Desperate Housewives. These crimes are perpetrated relative to the seasonal mysteries, as a way of overcoming obstacles and/or short-cuts, for purposes of betrayal, to reflect the characters' sinful natures, etc. One of the most common crimes is also the one generally regarded as the worst: murder. A lot of the characters who have died at some point in the series' timeline were murdered. Death See main article: List of deaths Death is a major part of the series, as a total of over 40 characters have been killed off on the show, and more than 50 deceased characters have been featured. Character deaths usually serve as either a catalyst in a plot, a means of driving the story further along, or as a 'full stop' in said story, meaning a character's story is ended with their death and it serves as a convenient climax. When more important characters die, the remaining living characters often find themselves dealing with the psychological and real-world repercussions of said demises, and certain episodes have even revolved around dead characters, such as, for example, the 100th episode, centered on the death of local handyman Eli Scruggs (special guest star Beau Bridges), or "Women and Death", dedicated to the memory of Mike Delfino, among others. Economy The financial being of the main characters often serves as the center of many plots of the series, generally becoming cause for conflict and/or personal drama. Some characters (e.g. Bree, Edie, Renee), are portrayed as always being wealthy, having several possessions, and never being in financial worries. Others (e.g. Susan, Lynette) are often depicted as being shaky in economical terms, having to cut down on luxuries to get by. The Solis family is arguably the one with the most inconsistent state of wealth, as they are often regarded as one of the richest families on the block, but have perhaps dealt with the most financial problems over eight seasons, particularly in seasons 1, 5, and 8. Season 5 is the one that deals the most with this recurring theme, putting several of its main characters (Susan and Mike, Gabrielle and Carlos, Tom and Lynette...) in financial burdens, having to resort to getting new jobs and making several sacrifices to afford the things they need and/or want. The episode "Mama Spent Money When She Had None" revolves around that theme. Family Friendships Irony Mysteries See main article: List of mysteries With mystery being one of the three major genres of Desperate Housewives (the other two being comedy and drama, which ultimately outrank mystery), every season has presented a long-running mystery storyline, generally focused on a new character having arrived to Wisteria Lane. The series' main mystery, triggered with the suicide of housewife and mother Mary Alice Young, served as the catalyst for the series and as a means of introducing all of its main characters. In the subsequent three seasons, new mysteries would be introduced in the season premieres and generally solved in the finales (with the exception of season 3), with several twists and turns presented through the run of the seasons to throw viewers off-track and for shock value. However, in the following three seasons (5-7), mysteries were generally solved earlier, usually within the first half of the season, and later replaced by ongoing vendetta storylines, complete with mini-mysteries, carried out by the mystery stars. However, these vengeance stories are still regarded by most as the seasonal mysteries. In the final season, the four protagonists of the series finally found themselves as the mystery stars for a change, all being involved in a dramatic storyline that found them burdened by a horrible murder cover-up and a continuous blackmail. Once the mystery was solved, the focus shifted to how the ladies, particularly Bree, would get themselves out of trouble with the police. Religion/Supernatural Despite it not being a subject that's directly addressed on the series on a regular basis, a supernatural element is always present and can be found at the core of the show, considering that its central character, series narrator Mary Alice Young, is dead. From her evelated point of view (it is assumed she is in Heaven), we see it all through Mary Alice's eyes, as she introduces us to the lives of her friends, neighbors and family members on the idyllic Wisteria Lane. Two other deceased characters (Rex Van de Kamp and Edie Britt) have also temporarily taken over the role of narrators. In addition to this, the characters are often faced with moral implications serving as consequences for their actions, most of which could be deemed 'sinful' when in accordance to those characters' particular religious beliefs. Bree Van de Kamp comes across as the most religious character, a Presbyterian Christian, and some of her stories over the run of the series have included a religious/moral focus and/or underline. Most regular characters believe in God and in Heaven in some way, judge others based on their beliefs, and practice certain religions. Romance and Mike, the series' main couple.]] One of the more notable sub-genres of Desperate Housewives could be given as "romance", as several of the main long-running stories revolve around the main characters' romantic relationships. The series' supercouple (a key element of most soap operas) consists of the Susan/Mike pairing, as their on-again/off-again relationship is at the center of most of the intrigue regarding those characters' stories over the course of 8 seasons, and they were introduced as the pairing viewers were meant to root for when the show started. Tom and Lynette Scavo have often been credited with being the most stable, consistent and perfect couple of the series, and thus deemed as 'original' and 'inspiring' (considering most soap opera pairings don't last for long at a time), with a reputation of having endured through many threatening obstacles without resorting to longtime separations. However, this came to an end in late season 7 and all throughout season 8, provoking a mild uproar in the fan community between those who commended the couple's relationship. The third main couple of the series would be the Gabrielle/Carlos pairing. Co-protagonist Bree Van de Kamp remains the character with the most romantic pairings over the course of the show, and several other romances have blossomed and/or withered, many of which carried on by the housewives themselves, when paired with different people. Secrets Sex Sins Almost all the characters of Desperate Housewives have moral and religious beliefs (see Religion), but these don't keep them from oftentimes being morally wrong in their conducts. Considering that most main characters are Christians in some way, a rundown of moments in which they have acted in accordance to the seven deadly sins is provided below. Take into consideration that many more moments have occurred, and other sins/moral wrongs, as well as crimes (see Crimes), have been practiced. :*'Anger' Anger is an emotion related to one's psychological interpretation of having been offended, wronged or denied and a tendency to undo that by retaliation. Anger is perhaps one of the most recurring sins carried out by the characters, as they are often on the receiving end of all sorts of provocation by others around them, which brings hateful feelings to the surface and is often the cause for payback (see Vengeance). An example of this is the pictured fight between Bree Van de Kamp and Edie Britt, following the former's discovery that the latter had kissed her husband. In addition to that, several mystery stars have carried out personal vendettas against fellow main characters, involving in trickery, manipulation and violence to try and achieve their ends. Fights between family members and friends brought on by anger are very common on this show (see Conflict). :*'Envy' Envy is best defined as a resentful emotion that "occurs when a person lacks another's (perceived) superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it. Envy comes across as one of the least present sins in the series. However, it has been showcased a few times, one of the most notable being when the women, particularly Lynette, feel jealous of Bree's newfound success with her catering business and cookbook authorship. This leads to a few major "falling-outs" between Lynette and Bree throughout season 5. In fact, Bree is often the most envied character of the series, as people are often invidious of her composed behavior and etiquette, of her beautifully furnished and decorated home, of her eye for business, of her perfect façade and of her many attributes. :*'Gluttony' and Greed Gluttony means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or wealth items to the point of extravagance or waste. Greed is the inordinate desire to possess wealth, goods, or objects of abstract value with the intention to keep it for one's self, far beyond the dictates of basic survival and comfort. The Solises are depicted as the greediest and most gluttonous family on Wisteria Lane, as they, particularly the matriarch, Gabrielle, strive for having the best things money can afford. Carlos has recently resigned from this habit, hoping to live a more modest life, but his wife, who's always been 'high-maintenance', strongly opposes to that. The Solis descendants follow by example, as Juanita has expressed interest in having more and better things, like a canopy bed, Ana would date random college boys for the perks (which included expensive designer dresses), and Grace took the best advantage out of her newfound relationship with her biological mother, Gaby, by coyly showing interest in her many possessions and getting gifts in return. In addition to this, Juanita and Celia Solis are regarded as gluttonous in a sense that they are very fond of overeating, being the main cause for their borderline childhood obesity problems, and a seldom retaliation by fans who oppose to the so-called 'fat jokes' revolving around the aforementioned children. :*'Lust''' Lust is a feeling of intense desire, usually a sexual one. The characters are often victims to lust, unable to help themselves but to surrender to intense passions despite the moral wrongdoings they are often associated with. Adultery becomes one of the most notable recurring sins the show dwells in, with most regulars being regarded as adulterers in some way, for having broken the sacred vows of marriage, for having engaged in extra-marital relationships, or for unknowingly being subject to adultery by their partners. Even when not committing adultery, characters have been known to give into lust in some other way (e.g.: having sex in public spaces), sometimes even in non-sexual ways. :*'Pride' Pride is an inwardly directed emotion that, with a negative connotation, refers to an inflated sense of one's personal status or accomplishments, often used synonymously with arrogance. Characters with the most possessions on the series are often depicted as the proudest and/or most arrogant ones. However, characters have also been known to take pride, negatively, in their wrongdoings. For examle, in episode 6.03, Bree purposedly provoked the fall of a young woman who was dating her lover, leading the girl to sustain a severe injury, and took pride in that little moment of evil. :*'Sloth' Sloth is defined as spiritual or emotional apathy, neglecting what God has spoken, and being physically and emotionally inactive. Following a risky murder cover-up, Bree Van de Kamp found herself distant from God, as she eventually confided to her pastor, Reverend Sikes. This disconnection led to her losing most of her morals, resorting to drinking alcohol and repeatedly fornicating with indiscriminate sexual partners. Sloth has also been experienced by characters in a sense of physical inactivity, e.g. when Andrew and Danielle Van de Kamp's lives came crashing down following the loss of jobs and/or spouses, leading them to sit around the house all day doing nothing. Vengeance Category:Themes